Venus Delivered 😊

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Dukefan said:

View of the Viking Sea from the Viking Venus Sky Cam in Vallette, Malta Live: https://viking.panomax.com/venus

 

With some MSC vessels also. 

[Heidi13]

Venus departed Malta a couple of hours ago and is bound for Civitavecchia, with an ETA of 20th April.

 

@OnTheJourney any word if the Chairman's cruise will take place on the Venus. Really hoping you and the other Sky survivors get your reunion cruise.

[Jim Avery]

Andy have they installed your nameplate on the back of your seat at the Viking Bar?🍺🍺

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Andy have they installed your nameplate on the back of your seat at the Viking Bar?🍺🍺

 

You bet, I believe you have the middle one with me on the right and Stumanchu on the left.😁🍺

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/19/2021 at 11:28 AM, Heidi13 said:

Venus departed Malta a couple of hours ago and is bound for Civitavecchia, with an ETA of 20th April.

 

@OnTheJourney any word if the Chairman's cruise will take place on the Venus. Really hoping you and the other Sky survivors get your reunion cruise.

Hi Andy,

 

No further word from Mr. Hagen on the reunion cruise. Thanks for asking!  

[sugarside]

Viking Venus has now left Civitavecchia on route to Gibraltar.

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/22/2021 at 1:50 PM, sugarside said:

Viking Venus has now left Civitavecchia on route to Gibraltar.

Any passengers on board?  Haven't been following this so didn't know if it was some sort of repositioning cruise. Darn....and to think it could have been us back in January. Was looking forward to Gibraltar, having never been to any port that was on the itinerary, except for where the cruise would have ended up in London. 

[LindaS272]

3 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Any passengers on board?  Haven't been following this so didn't know if it was some sort of repositioning cruise. Darn....and to think it could have been us back in January. Was looking forward to Gibraltar, having never been to any port that was on the itinerary, except for where the cruise would have ended up in London. 

This is Venus heading up to the UK to do the round England cruises beginning in May. Europe isn’t open for cruises yet—too many cases. Which cruise had Gibraltar as a stop? I don’t remember that one, but would sure like to be on it!

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Any passengers on board?  Haven't been following this so didn't know if it was some sort of repositioning cruise. Darn....and to think it could have been us back in January. Was looking forward to Gibraltar, having never been to any port that was on the itinerary, except for where the cruise would have ended up in London. 

 

At this time I suggest it is highly unlikely that the ship is carrying pax.

 

While she is eventually bound to Portsmouth to commence the UK cruises, those don't start for a month, so she has lots of time to make the passage. Malta to Portsmouth is only about 2,500 nm, so at 11 kts the transit is less than 10 days. At 20 kts we routinely completed it in 5 days.

 

In Italy, they were not permitting crew exchanges of foreign nationals, except in emergency situations, so I suggest that was one reason for the stopover at Valletta. Both Malta and Gibraltar are accepting crew embarkation in accordance with local requirements. Therefore, I suspect some crew boarded in Malta and more crew could be signing-on in Gibraltar.

 

Pre-COVID, you could expect marketing types, TA's, etc to board in Civitavecchia for a short cruise, but since the crew only joined a few days previously, I suspect this is unlikely, at this time. The stop in Civitavecchia was most likely for stores, company auditors, etc.

 

When they call at Gib, the ship may just anchor as we did last year, going ashore in a local tender boat.

 

Once all crew is aboard they have to complete the Viking Shipboard Training Program, presented by the HR Manager. With an almost entire crew this will take a few days. Even returning crew members re-take the course at the beginning of each contract.

 

On arrival UK, some additional crew may board and then she may complete 1 or more marketing cruises before commencing pax ops 22nd May.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

This is Venus heading up to the UK to do the round England cruises beginning in May. Europe isn’t open for cruises yet—too many cases. 

 

Sorry, but limited cruising has taken place in Europe for many months:

• Mein Schiff 1 & 2 have been operating in the Canaries for months,
• MSC Grandiosa has been sailing Italy/Malta since August, with a short break in Dec/Jan.
• Hapag-Lloyd Europa 2 operating in the Canaries
• Aidaperia operating in the Canaries since end of March

This article is a summary of all cruises currently operating

 https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24746-here-are-the-cruise-lines-operating-right-now-2.html

 

 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Sorry, but limited cruising has taken place in Europe for many months:

• Mein Schiff 1 & 2 have been operating in the Canaries for months,
• MSC Grandiosa has been sailing Italy/Malta since August, with a short break in Dec/Jan.
• Hapag-Lloyd Europa 2 operating in the Canaries
• Aidaperia operating in the Canaries since end of March

This article is a summary of all cruises currently operating

 https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24746-here-are-the-cruise-lines-operating-right-now-2.html

 

 

But Viking has not. That was my point.

[Heidi13]

47 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

But Viking has not. That was my point.

 

Thanks for clarifying, as you didn't mention Viking in the initial post.

[LindaS272]

10 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Thanks for clarifying, as you didn't mention Viking in the initial post.

The original poster asked about the Viking Venus repositioning:

”Any passengers on board?  Haven't been following this so didn't know if it was some sort of repositioning cruise.”

[Cruise Wonderland]

VENUS arrives Gibraltar today for bunkering.

 

Picture from Tony Davis in Facebook group "Ocean Liner Society"

 

[Heidi13]

After Gibraltar, she stopped off in Lisbon and is back at sea returning to Malta. ETA 1st May.

[Clay Clayton]

Interesting- wonder why the backtracking?

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/25/2021 at 3:42 AM, Cruise Wonderland said:

VENUS arrives Gibraltar today for bunkering.

 

Picture from Tony Davis in Facebook group "Ocean Liner Society"

 

Just looking at her makes me sad. Would have been on her maiden voyage from Rome to Barcelona and then around the Iberian Peninsula, ending in Tilbury...ahhhh...in my mind's eye I can imagine it...and it was fantastic. 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Interesting- wonder why the backtracking?

 

Clay - not even sure why they headed up to Lisbon, other than to embark local crew and/or stores.

[Clay Clayton]

I figured they were on their way to Norway or something and were doing some training by docking at various places. Lisbon being up river and such. But heading back to the Med blew my theory. 

[Dave W 10]

Due in Portsmouth soon for UK cruises starting May 22 and naming ceremony on May 17 presumably also in Portsmouth.